Crazy Penis - A Nice Hot Bath With...

I can only think of one word to describe this album: Masterpiece. I ran into it while trying to track down the unmixed version of the amazing track "3 Play It Cool", which made its appearance in the nifty mix album "The Outernational Sound", property of Thievery Corporation. My reaction to this funk-groove infused melody was more than satisfying. I was completely blown away!! It's that type of laid back music that really losens the senses in grand fashion, because it never bores. My favorite track on the album is definitely "Smoothin' Groovin'" because of its outstanding instrumentation and the carefully placed vocal effects splashed here and there.

Contrary to other opinions, I think the idea of raising the speed a notch in the closer "Drop Your Weapon" is an excellent idea because it concludes the detailed preparation of this album in taking us to the next level: true house music.

A Nice Hot Bath With… sounds like a sleazy come-on and that’s what it is. But what could you expect from a band with the name Crazy Penis? This album has some of the smoothest mellow house this side of your bathtub and it doesn’t let itself get worked up in a lather. Instead, it encourages you to soak in the grooves and rinse in pure funk. “Starwar,” the opening track, sets the standard for the rest to follow: it has just enough groove and jazziness to see us through the hard times. “Do It Good” easily meets the standard; “3 Play It Cool” gives us some nice horn interludes from funk to funk. The sexy vocal samples on “I Am Love” blend into the warm, summery vibe seamlessly, while “Mambo” picks up the pace. “A Little Something” goes back into mellow mode, but, for some strange reason, “Drop Your Weapon” is a bit too frenetic to be the capper for such a relaxing album. It’s the one mar on an otherwise smooth album.